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"My earliest memory of God is my mother praying with me at bedtime, or singing about God, as she did her housework..."
"She died when I was seven, she told me herself that she was going to die..."
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Hi, I’m Daphne, married to Michael with five adult children all left home, and we live in County Galway. While I love my family, the most important relationship in my life is that with the Lord Jesus Christ, for he is my Saviour, and through him the Lord God becomes my Heavenly Father. What is my authority for this assertion? The Holy Bible which is God’s Word, there are many references but my favourite is, John’s Gospel chapter one verse 12.
My earliest memory of God is my mother praying with me at bedtime, or singing about God, as she did her housework. She died when I was seven, she told me herself that she was going to die, and that she was going to heaven to the Lord Jesus. I thought she was in heaven because she was good, and while I was happy that she was there I was also devastated because I was sure I could never go there, and so would never see her again, and this brought me to despair.
My grief made me very rebellious, so I was very conscious of my sinfulness, (children have a much more accurate concept of sin than adults whose consciences are hardened).
It wasn’t until I was 9 that I learned the meaning of the crucifixion, that the Lord Jesus had died on the cross fro my sins instead of me, and that I could be forgiven and made fit for heaven, and that also was the reason my Mum was sure she was going to heaven, not because she was good enough. I repented of my sins and trusted in the Lord Jesus to save me and knew peace with God.
As I was brought up in a Christian home it was east to live the Christian life outwardly, I simply conformed to the standards of my home. When I left home to do nursing at 18 it was like coming out of a safe harbour to a rough sea, and I didn’t cope very well and soon my faith was shipwrecked. I learned painfully that I was trying to do the impossible, to live the Christian life in my own strength. I was like the song, which says “doing it my way”. I had to learn to trust the Lord Jesus myself and allow him to control my life. That involves prayer and Bible study, for we can’t follow and trust someone we don’t know, and it is in the Bible that we come to know him, and learn to do things his way and not our own. We also learn of his great love and many promises of help and comfort for this life also.
Another way I came to know the Lord Jesus better was when I had cancer 14 years ago. In his mercy he healed me, for all healing comes from God. He did not heal me because of my faith, some of my friends who died had greater faith than I, nor because of my prayers, or the prayers of my family and friends, friends who died had many praying for them also. He healed me simply because that was his plan for my life and he is sovereign. The Lord doesn’t promise to heal us, but if we are his children he promises to be with us. He is our Father and a good parent is always with their children in trouble. At the time that was more important to me than healing. A friend gave me a get well card with Isaiah 43 on it, which says “Fear not, I have redeemed you, I have called you by name, you are mine”, and that was a great comfort. Every time I couldn’t cope I cried out “Lord I’m yours and you love me, please help me now”, and he always did. He never let me down. I know if illness happens again he will be with me just as he was then. I might die, but he will never leave me nor forsake me.
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